Contact device for electric railways



(No Modei.)

F O BLACKWELL common? DBVIGE FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. No. 425,488.,

Patented Apr. 15, 1890.

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. UNITED STATES FRANCIS O. BLACKIVELL, O F NEYV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE THOMSON- PATENT HOUSTON ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CONNECTICUT.

CONTACT DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,488, dated April 15, 1890.

Application filed July 5 1889.

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known thatI, FRANCIS O. BLACKWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of N ew. York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Contact Devices for Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invent-ion consists of contact devices for electric railways in which the line-conductor is suspended above the surface of the roadway. It is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure I is a side elevation of my improved contact device, the standard and lower frame being shown in section. Fig. II is a section thereof on the line 2 2, Fig. I. Fig. III is an end elevation of the contact-piece. Fig. IV

shows a branching of the supply-wire adapted for the contact device.

In the drawings, A and B are two upright arms connected to a common frame C at their base and to a similar frame D at their upper ends and provided with truss-rods E. The frame 0 has a bearing in a standard F, placed on the top of an electrically-propelled vehicle, so that it is free to turn about the axis 3 3. The frame 0 and the rods attached thereto are normally held in a vertical position by means of plate-springs K, attached to standard F at one end and at the other end bearing downward upon frame C. At the upper end of the rods the frame or plate D has pivot-ed thereto a transverse contact-piece L, having its opposite ends beveled. This con tact-piece L is supported upon transverse pivots projecting from lugs extending upwardly from frame D, as shown, and is held upright by short springs M.

In action the contact device as a whole is constantly pressed up against the under side of the supply-wire by means of spring K, which forces the device to turn about the axis 3 3. The small inequalities of the line are taken up by the action of the springs M, while the larger variations are taken up by the action of springs K. The contact-arm L is of such width that in no position will it get beyond the supply-wire. At branching-points the supply-wire, as will be seen in Fig. 4, is

Serial No. 316,551. (No model.)

supplied with short wires 0, extending from one branch to the other, the under surface of the wires being smooth, so that as the contact device travels along in the direction of the arrow it will pass first from the main line onto branch P, and, returning, will pass from the branch Q onto the main line, the cross-wires O guiding the piece L and preventing it from extending up beyond the Wire at the branch, either in going or returning.

IVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the suspended supply-Wire, of an electrically-propelled vehicle and an intermediate contact device consisting of an upright part with a spring pressing it against the supply-wire and an independently movable contact-piece attached to the said upright part and extending transversely beyond the conductor to compensate for irregularities in the line.

2. The combination, ina contact device for an electric railway, of an upright rod or arm, a horizontal extension therefrom, and aplatespring bearing upon the extension and giving a movement about a center.

3. The combination, with the upright rods A and B, of a frame joining their lower ends, a transversely extending contact-piece at their upper ends pivoted so as to swing about a transverse axis, and a spring giving the said rods an upward movement about the said axis.

at. In a contact device for an electric railway, the combination of two rods Aand B, truss-wires therefor, and a transversely-extending contact-piece at their upper ends bearing against the under side of the supplywires.

5. The combination, with a contact device attached to an electrically-propelled vehicle and having a transversely-extending contactpiece, of the main and branch wires and wires 0, extending between the two branches, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with main and branch supply -wires for an electric railway, of a transverselyextending contact piece and a guard extending between the two branch wires and preventing the displacement of the contact device when passing between the main and branch Wires. v

7. The combination, in a contact device for an electric railway, of upright rods A and B, a frame joining their lower ends, a connection between their upper ends and trusswires, with a transversely-extending contactpiece, and a spring adapted to hold the said contact device upward against the supply- Wire.

8. The combination, in a contact device, of an upwardly-extending rod and a spring actuating the said rod about a center and pressing it upward with a contact-piece at the outer end of said rod having an independent spring and a pivotal attachment to the rod.

9. The combination, in an electric railway,

- of a suspended line-conductor, a vehicle and a contact device consisting of an upright arm or rod free to swing about a center at its inner end, and a contact-piece jointed to the outer portion of the said arm in proximity to the conductor and engaging the underside of 

